Fatal Instinct
by Thunderxtw
Summary: Anna Williams lives a double life of secrecy and brutality after finally finding a purpose in her dull, depressing life. A cinematic tale of espionage and adventure set in an alternate universe seen through the eyes of the younger Williams sibling.
1. Chapter 1: Enter the Lightning Scarlet

**Author's Note: **Well, it's been a while but I'm back to writing again. I still have stories that are unfinished which I plan to address soon, so do not think I have abandoned them.

Some characters you will recognize and others you may not. Also, some of the things involved in the story are not fully canon. In other words, this fic is AU (Alternate Universe)

**Disclaimer**: As usual, I don't own Anna or anything else Tekken. They belong to the good people of Namco.

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**_Fatal Instinct_**

**_Chapter 1 _**

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The sunbeams were pleasant to the senses, revitalizing her as she took it all in. The crisp air smell had reached her nose after inhaling deep, a smile curving at her lips. Despite the exposure of the sun, the air was not as warm as it should have been today. A red bikini, thermos, and suntan lotion almost seemed inappropriate now in this situation.

Miles of sand, pebbles, and swaying palm trees were all Anna could note through tinted sunglasses. It was not often she had a chance to relax at the beach, so she considered this a blessing. After all, there was nothing more appealing than watching well-tanned men walk by in shorts and undershirts.

Her friend and former colleague, Bruce Irvin, sat beside her in a lounge chair. After not seeing each other for nineteen years, the two had reunited. Tracking him down had not been easy, but she had succeeded.

Time was the only thing that seemed to have changed Bruce; he had grown a slim goatee with sideburns and packed on more muscle in his upper body region. His gaze had veered toward the roaring sea, as if lost in the conversation they were having. Something seemed to be on his mind, but he did not give any indication as to what it was.

Without even turning his head, he grumbled and broke the silence. "How's life been treating you, Anna?"

She sighed and smiled at him, draping the white towel over her shoulders like a coat. "Life's been treating me well, friend. What about you? You still Kazuya's lap dog or what?" There was a chuckle in her voice. It came as a joke, but Bruce did not seem to find the comment humorous as his stony look stayed intact.

"Nah, I'm done with that part of my life. I've aged quite a bit and I'm not as stupid as I was once before. Been moving on to better things. Heh, with my luck lately, I might end up getting married and settle down somewhere." He nodded, crushing the cigarette butt between his fingers with a sizzle.

The Irish woman's brow rose, never expecting to hear such things from the ex-mercenary. However, the contradiction itself did amuse her. Maybe his time away from Kazuya influenced the change within him. "You? Married? Whatever happened to, 'there's no woman out there who measures up to my standards'?"

"Ugh, must you quote everything I say?" He put an open-palmed hand to his face and shook his head. "A guy can change his mind, you know? Don't act like you haven't done it." Getting off the subject, he moved on to pursue a different one. "So," he continued while scratching his short, thin black Mohawk, "what's your line of work now?"

She looked back at him through the corner of her eye, reclining in her chair. "Oh, nothing big. Just a small job to get by," came the response with an inaudible snicker.

"What, you finally started working as a stripper?" He smiled.

Anna grimaced at first and then replaced her frown with a grin mirroring his own. "Oh no! Of course not. Bet you were fantasizing about it, though."

"Me? Fantasize about you? Oh, you're funny, kid. Real funny."

At least he had developed a sense of humor, something uncommon of him.

Waves of the ocean crashed upon the sand, a flock of seagulls seen soaring about in the distance. The atmosphere itself had made Anna want to stay longer than she had planned; however, she knew that was impossible.

Soon, she had detached herself from the chair and stood, draping the towel over her shoulder. They took a walk across the beach, weaving through the thin crowds of people.

"Met anyone special?" Bruce's gaze focused ahead as he asked the question.

Anna's hand came to rest at her nape while in thought, feeling the sand wedge between her toes. "Mmm, not really." A fingernail trailed down her trimmed hair. "It's kind of hard finding the person you want out there. Then when you think you've found the right one, they're often someone they're not. I don't waste time with fools like that. Besides, there's probably not a man on this earth that can handle me."

Funny they were talking to each other like this. When they used to work in the Mishima Zaibatsu under Kazuya's rule, the discussions were much different, less personal. Then again, Kazuya did not allow his employees to have regular chats with such strict regulations. If it did not concern what he paid them to do, he would forbid it. Nevertheless, Anna tried to steer her memories of working in the Zaibatsu away as best as she could.

"So how's Ganryu?" She faced him with curiosity, eyes blinking. "We really ought to get together and play cards again sometime, no?"

"Haven't seen or spoken to him in a while. Probably still obsessing over that girl." He chuckled and shook his head. "Heard he opened a sumo stable and works as a trainer to other sumo wrestlers. The ole Buffalo Butt's doing fine, I take it."

They stopped once they were away from all the indistinct commotion, bathing in shade under a lonesome tree. The sky was beginning to darken, clouds eclipsing the sun serving as the cause. A storm must have been afoot as Anna heard thunder rumbling, felt water droplets land on her arm.

"Damn it, not now." She hissed and looked up to feel another drop touch against her cheek. Rain always had a tendency to disrupt things and she hated that.

"I better go." Bruce looked over her shoulder and took her hand with his own. "Nice seeing you again, friend."

She returned the handshake with a firm squeeze and nodded in appreciation. "Same to you. You take care of yourself."

Within a minute, he disappeared on walking toward the street corner ahead. Then the communicator strapped around her thigh beneath the sarong caught her attention. She ducked away into the shadows of a more secluded area and switched it on. First, there was static, then silence as a snowy image began to blend into the miniature screen.

"I have another job for you." came a deep voice that sounded a bit hoarse in its delivery. "I'll brief you soon, so stay in touch." The voice then fizzled out, leaving Anna to muse as rain fell from the forming clouds above.

"_Another assignment. Wonder what it is this time."_

* * *

Skies that were once blue had converted to a pitch-black, ushering in the pale light of the full moon. Such conditions were perfect for this kind of mission.

The hovering vehicle lowered Anna to the building via rope before she jumped off and landed on crouching unnoticed. Cold had shrouded her, making her form shiver upon the square-shaped rooftop.

_'Been waiting a long time for this.'_

She never thought she would come back here again. It brought back memories, but there was no time to reminisce the old days; there were other matters to focus on.

It took one beep for her to realize she was receiving another call. The screen of the communicator flashed on and she held it close to her lips. "I'm here." She whispered.

"Excellent. Make sure the kill is quick. Do what you need to, but don't harm any unarmed civilians, if you happen to cross any."

"Sure you don't wanna leave this to the law?" Her tone was teasing. "What I'm gonna do may not be very law-abiding."

"The law is ignorant to mostly everything the Zaibatsu does. That's where we come in, exterminating the threat before it becomes even bigger. We serve justice the way it was meant to be served."

Anna gazed at her surroundings before releasing a cold breath. "You know, the people here already seem very rude. What, no welcoming committee? No red carpet? The boys sure know how to greet a gal." She shrugged with sarcasm.

"This is not something to joke about. You have approximately fifteen minutes to get in and get out. This'll be a bit more arduous than your training exercises. By then, your ride will show up, assuming you've accomplished the job. Once your finished, contact me. Don't screw this up, Williams." The voice responded before the device went back into loud static.

"Gee, I love you too." Her eyes rolled with a shaking head.

Equipped with a silencer pistol, an infrared scanner, and various other tools, she stole into the financial building. Security was tight, as guards seemed to fill every corridor. One wrong move could jeopardize the mission if not careful. They had installed cameras all through out the complex to warn of any intruders. No matter, she was not intent on having them discover her.

The tail end of her black qipao dress flapped with her movements as her gaze swept over the metallic interior. There were a couple of armed guards patrolling the area, oblivious to her presence. They had no clue that death awaited them in only a matter of seconds.

The Irish woman kept her back pressed to the wall and peeked around the corner to ready her first shot. Her index finger fastened around the trigger and had the unfortunate guard within her crosshairs. When the timing was right, the pistol shot a bullet straight to his neck, puncturing the skin.

He froze in place and uttered one last breath before collapsing forward on his knees. His comrade witnessed the demise and came over to investigate, but received the same fate as his partner.

Anna's high-heeled slingbacks clicked across the steel floor as she made a break for the next room. Some doors required specialized keycards for entry, no doubt meant for the higher ranked officials. A conversation was going on from the north, indicating more hostilities.

She pinpointed the enemy's location through infrared goggles, deciding to pick them off one by one. Sneaking up on the first guard from behind without the others knowing was not a problem. Her hands grasped his head and jaw, snapping his neck in the process.

She discarded the corpse behind a desk, with his allies noticing his disappearance too late as she charged. Anna drew double-edged knifes from the holster and drove three inches of cold steel into soft yet vulnerable flesh. Lifeless, they fell before her and were nothing more than mere stepping-stones on her continuing to the furthest hall. Any blood left over from the aftermath, she diluted.

A mechanical whine brought movement to a halt before reaching the corridor, expanding her perception. Her eyes spied the security camera on the ceiling turning side-to-side between three-second pauses. A few steps closer into its focus and an alarm would have sounded to alert everyone in the building. It only took one shot to the lens to put it out of commission for good; sparks flew out thereafter.

Kazuya's office should not have been far now, at least from she remembered of the building's previous layout. More guards had dispatched to replace those that had fallen, but it did not concern her much. The large double doors coming up on the right gave hint she had reached her destination.

Not a moment sooner, she entered to hide behind a couple pillars without any sign of Kazuya.

She kept her weapons drawn and swept the office, but came up short on finding anything. Then her heart jumped once the double doors flung. She retreated to the nearest wall and saw Kazuya's face carrying that standard cold, emotionless expression. The man did not look any different than he did nineteen years ago; moreover, he still donned that tacky purple suit.

He sat upright at the desk, dialing numbers on his phone before turning to where she had hid. "So, when were you planning to kill me?" A pause came with the flicker of his thick brows, his voice deepening. "That's what you came for, right? I'm sure it wasn't to help me do my paperwork."

_'Crap.'_

Anna's eyes widened with gritted teeth, discarding the shocked look on revealing herself. Despite the eerie, dissimilar colored glow in his eyes, she mocked him with a giggle.

"Nice to see you again, boss. Or should I say…ex-boss?" 


	2. Chapter 2

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**_Fatal Instinct_**

**_Chapter 2_**

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Anna sauntered out from behind the pillar, meeting Kazuya eye-to-eye for the first time in years. By now, she could hear the constant trekking of footsteps from outside the office before the doors swung open. She noted the four guards clad in advanced combat uniforms through the corner of her eye priming their weapons. Though entering with haste, they did not fire off a single shot. Perhaps waiting on Kazuya's order.

Kazuya put a hand to his mouth, clearing his throat as the lights brightened as if he had summoned it. "Didn't expect to see you again. Are you still familiar with the consequences for trespassing, Miss Williams?"

Anna smiled, hands still gripping at the double-edged knifes. "Awww, come on, Kaz. You could at least give me a hug. You know you missed me."

"Humph! Hardly." He sneered. "You've always been known to be a bit of a sneak, but as I said before….nothing gets through my security. I have some of the best in the world."

How ironic it was to hear that when Anna knew she had reduced the number of his guards quite a bit. However, time was running out and she thought she could sense Kazuya's willingness to order his men to fire. There were no signs of a potential exit in the room.

"Just who are you working for anyway?" The color in his eyes switched to a demonic red, soon blending into yellow.

"Wouldn't you like to know," came Anna's retort.

"Heh, forget it. Lucky for you, I have a meeting to attend and I'm rather late due to your sudden interruption. Since I don't have time to punish you myself, I'll let my men do the honors."

Once Kazuya had left, Anna found an angry array of light beams gathering at her chest. The men stood silent with the intent to fire gleaming in their eyes. Now was the time to make her move.

"All right boys, show of hands. Which one of you can see in the dark?" She aimed her pistol up high and shot out the lights with a spark, shrouding the office in darkness.

Then blazes of gunfire erupted across the room as she dive-rolled to the nearest pillar, hearing bullets whiz past her ear.

Once all the noise had calmed, Anna strapped on her night vision goggles and found the guards lying in blood pools. "Best security in the world my ass." She spat as she ran out into the hall to catch up with Kazuya, reloading a clip into her pistol. Various doors flew by in blurs as she caught sight of him several steps away. He was much farther than she would have thought, nearing his private elevator.

Another group of hostilities burst forth from the side hall, ruining her chances of gaining a clear shot at him. Cart wheeling to the side, she squatted against the wall and primed a flash grenade before tossing it at their feet.

The explosive detonated with an overwhelming bright flash that gave Anna time to strike as it blinded its targets. Her knives surfaced again, streaking blood along the wall with every swipe as she relished their pained cries. All the tension held within from missing her chance at Kazuya was unleashed on them.

She rewarded the resilience of the trio remaining by severing their limbs, splotching the carpet with puddles of crimson. Her pistol sealed their fate with a couple well-placed shots. There was no need to keep silent anymore, as everyone within now knew of her existence.

Up ahead, Kazuya had vanished, the elevator pad indicating his descent to the lowermost floor. Anna darted to the staircase and shot anyone that dared to confront her. Chaos had filled the building as she felt herself closing in on the target, drawing panic everywhere.

The deeper she got into the complex, the stronger the opposition became. Their armor was much tougher, wielding heavier weaponry best suited for an army. Kazuya must have been desperate to bring in his elite forces; they were only necessary for emergencies, but in this case, he had every right to consider this one.

Grenades launched from the bottom stairway to Anna's position and exploded, the impact flinging her a great distance back. Clouds of gray smoke blinded her vision a moment as she switched on the infrared goggles.

The first heat signature coming into view met with an array of bullets. However, her rounds could not match their superior armor, the realization frustrating her. The elite guard was drawing closer by the second, his comrades heard backing up the rear. She would be as good as dead if she did not think of something fast.

Beside her, she grasped the rifle dropped on the floor by one of the guards killed earlier. It had two functions, the first was obvious, but the second Anna decided to find out for herself. A mine shot out from the barrel as the recoil knocked her light form back a bit. A large explosion that shook the staircase punctuated the elite guards bellowed cursing once they noted the danger.

"Now**that's **what I call a weapon." Anna said on her descent to the next and final floor.

There was no sighting of Kazuya, but in his place were six elite guards anticipating her arrival. They used mounted guns to fire at their target without warning. Glass shattered and fell like rain as she shielded her head on sprinting to the adjacent walls for cover. Fired rounds came her way and she rolled out into the open to blast away each threat with separate streams.

Only one survivor left, but he did not intend on going out the way his colleges did. Anna kept movement to a minimum behind the pillar, the ammo in her rifle almost empty. No doubt he was awaiting the chance for her to slip out to get in a free shot as his gun hushed. Anna made the decision to reveal herself, running faster than ever to the northern pillar.

Due to the gun's massive weight, the guard did not have near enough time to turn it when she flashed her rifle. "It's been fun, sweetie." She quipped and licked her lips.

Fear lit up in his eyes as his body stiffened, then falling to his knees once the shot penetrated his skull. Anna could not relax yet, her eyes turning with caution toward the opening elevator door. No one was inside. Then came the understanding that this was a trick to buy Kazuya more time to escape.

Anna returned to the stairs and searched every previous floor, but he had already gotten away somehow. She had missed her chance, failing to complete the mission. As she stared out the broken window feeling glum, footsteps came pounding from the rear. Then she noted the aircraft in the sky making its descent on the building, her ticket out of here. An extending rope lowered to her position and she took hold of it without delay.

The guards were relentless with their fire, trying to ensure she would not leave this place alive. Coming into the chilled night, she sent them a parting farewell in the form of a mine exploding on contact. Despite the destruction the Ziabatsu had suffered in this battle, Anna knew Kazuya's wealth could repair it without problem.

The aircraft took her halfway through the city, passing various skyscrapers and rooftops as she frowned.

Her commanding officer was not going to be too happy with this.

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The lipstick was soft and ticklish against Anna's lips as she applied the bright red before clipping on the earrings. A slight beep of the communicator drew her away from the mirror and into the purse on her hotel bed. The screen illuminated with static before the usual crackling noise cleared into speech.

"Perhaps letting Kazuya live was the better thing to do. We probably would not have been able to find out what he was up to if you had eliminated him right off the bat. This makes things much more interesting as it gives us an opportunity to hit him right where it hurts."

"Oh really?" Anna said on applying the black-heeled slip on sandals to her feet before smoothing the zebra-striped miniskirt.

"Yes. Word has it that your last visit sparked a massive increase in Kazuya's security. He has not been able to go anywhere without them. We have also gathered information he's experimenting again, moving various projects to an undisclosed facility. Find out what he's up to, where this place is located, then take him out along with the facility."

Anna sprayed a bottle of rose scented perfume at her neck and nodded. "I already know about that. And I think I know just the person who can tell me what I need."

"You certain they'll disclose that kind of information to you?"

"Trust me, I know how to get men to talk. Leave it to me."

"Well, its great to see you're on your job this time."

"Hey, a girl does her homework too, you know?" She giggled and set her sights back on the full-sized mirror.

"Report back to me once you get the information." The screen flickered off as she deactivated the device.

"Will do."

She checked her appearance one last time and grabbed her purse with the necessary tools stowed inside. Last time she had been unfortunate, but today was different.

Kazuya would not escape her for long.

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Anna came into the bar and gazed at all the men seated inside, as the air smelt of cigarettes and wine. No matter how tantalizing they were, she had to stay focused on her objective. She caught sight of the whiskered bartender wiping down a mug with a damp cloth behind the counter.

On her approach, he smiled and leaned over where she sat. "Can I getcha anything, beautiful? Sherry? Vermouth? Brandy? Gin? Rum?"

Her eyes flickered, taking his hand away from the glass with her own as she spoke in a seductive whisper. "Information, sweetie."

"Wha—wha--what kind of information?" He stammered with a dreamy look in his eyes that suggested she had hooked him in her trap.

"Lee Chaolin. Where is he?"

He scratched his temple before his eyes widened to pinpoint the location of what she sought. "Oh, he's over there."

Chaolin sat over in a lonesome corner, sipping away at his drink as a couple dancers entertained him. His appearance had changed upon closer inspection. His hair had grayed some and the wrinkles were starting to creep in though it seemed he had done his best to hinder that.

It did not take long for him to notice her once she went behind the couch, soon leaning right into his lap. First came a look of confusion, then pleasure before he snuffed the scent her body emitted.

"Can I help you, Miss?" He looked down at her, wiping the alcohol residue off his lips.

"What's wrong, Lee, don't recognize me?" She caressed his chin with her thumb and laughed, sitting back up. "I feel so insulted."

"Anna?" His gaze froze with the drop of his mouth before he replaced it with a calm expression. He took her hand and kissed it after pardoning himself. "My, you look gorgeous as always. You look like you haven't changed a bit."

"That's because of the cryo-sleep, honey." Knowing how Lee monitored Kazuya, Anna thought it was obvious he knew what she meant.

Nineteen years ago, Kazuya had relayed news that her sister Nina was planning to become a guinea pig in some new cryo-sleep experiment. With it, her older sibling would remain young while she would grow old and lonely as the years went by. Despite how much they quarreled, Anna could not live with that and decided to be in the experiment too. Now here she was, nineteen years later since awakening, still young while everyone she knew had aged.

"Of course." Lee drew her mind back to the present. "Glad to see it was a success. Now," he said with a pause as the pleasant look on his face faded into a serious one, "what exactly did you come here for? As you can see I'm a really busy man and don't like to be interrupted when my girls are…entertaining me."

She cupped his chin and brought his gaze to meet her own. "Why don't we just cut to the chase then, hmm?" Her nails stroked his hair back as she spoke. "You wouldn't happen to know where your dear, sweet brother is, would you?"

"Why would you want to know? What has he done that has you so interested in him?" Lee had every right to be concerned of that if it involved his adopted brother. Although he loathed Kazuya, it was likely he would not just give out such information to anyone. He was involved in the Zaibatsu as well, working under Kazuya's rule since before and after he took over.

Anna reseated herself on Lee's lap, ensuring no one saw hand movement as she poked the semiautomatic pistol into his crotch.

"Ahh…" His teeth gritted after a feminine squeal and before long, his skin started to pale. He swallowed hard, eyes drifting down on biting his lower lip.

He had two choices and in his situation, it was wise for him to make the right one. "Now, you either tell me the information I want to hear, or I'll see to it that your family jewels are instantly shot off," came the whispered threat, letting him know she was all business. "Understood?"

A slow nod confirmed his answer and with that, she withdrew the firearm into her purse. Intimidation always served as her best weapon for getting the information needed.

"I'll tell you, but not here. Follow me." His eyes shifted both ways, speaking silent.

He motioned her on, leading her to a door that required his personal code for entry. Once he completed the sequence, he stepped in and flipped the switch. The lights revealed the interior of a bedroom that was a near replica of something fit for a five star hotel. In the center was a projector.

"Wow." Anna said after an astonished whistle, reclining herself along the twin-sized bed. "Not a bad place you got here."

He fiddled with the machine, a bluish light flashing upon the wall as the motor within stuttered. "I own the club and the girls need some place to be more--comfortable after a rough day."

"Comfortable? I'm sure they'll feel more embarrassed once they see you with your pants down." She grinned and observed the screen. "What's that?"

"This is the fortress Kazuya has set up his operations at, several miles north of Sado, Japan, built on an island he had constructed for himself." He clicked to the next photo of a large complex surrounded by water. "A number of experiments are being conducted there. For what reason, I do not know. Kazuya's real tight-lipped about that sort of stuff."

"How did you get these photos?" Anna asked, head rising off the pillow.

"Hired spies." Lee smirked. "He thinks he's so sneaky with what he does, it's pathetic." He scrolled to another photo.

Then, before he can swap to the next one, shock gripped Anna's heart, the current image seizing her attention. "Wait!" She walked to the screen, mouth almost ready to drop at what she saw: an unconscious young woman floating inside a liquid filled tube. "Nin—Ni--Nina?"

Lee studied the image and nodded, enlarging it. "Yes, I knew that would catch your interest. Seems he's captured your sister, using her for one of his experiments."

Anna felt the anger bar her teeth at this, fists shaking before knocking the projector off its stand. Nina had disappeared after awakening from the cryo-sleep. Now she was Kazuya's prisoner, treated as nothing more than a common lab rat. It was not just the fact he was doing this to a human that disgusted Anna, but to her own sister.

"Hey, that stuff is expensive!"

"Your brother's gonna wish he had never been born the next time he sees me again." She hissed.

"You're going to kill him?" Lee turned to her, one eyebrow cocked.

The tone in his voice made it sound like he wanted her to, but she was not doing this for him. In the beginning, this was just a mission, but for Anna it had now become personal.

Lee brought himself closer to her, unveiling the truth of what she had perceived. "I would appreciate it if you did kill him, Anna. Kazuya is always getting in the way and I would like a woman of your expertise to take him out. He's not fit to rule the Zaibatsu…I am! I was always much more capable of such an honor."

"If he's such a nuisance to you, why didn't you hire someone to take him out?"

He sighed and rubbed the side of his head. "I have, but he always seems to know what I'm planning before it happens. Killing him is becoming quite a challenge. Reason he still keeps me employed is to give me orders and embarrass me. But one day…his time in the Zaibatsu will end, and I shall become the one in charge. Then I'll demote and humiliate him and see how he likes it!

"Whatever floats your boat." She gathered her stuff, ready to walk out until a pair of suits busted in unannounced.

"Mr. Chaolin, are you all right? We heard you scream and--" The first spotted the gun in her hand, reaching into his pocket with the wrong idea in mind. Anna would not give him or his partner the chance to pull their firearms out as she shoved past them. Their heavy footsteps followed close behind, but she managed to run faster to the outside. She had no idea she had ran into the streets until car headlights flashed in front of her.

The driver rolled the window down and peeked out. "Anna?" The familiar bass in his voice made her glad to know it was him.

"Bruce!" She darted to the passenger door and stepped inside. "Quick, drive!"

He slammed his foot on the gas, tires screeching before the car sped away. Anna looked over her shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief, as she saw no one behind them. "Good, they're not following us."

The speedometer read the car was doing forty miles per hour, but it seemed to be going faster than that. She leaned back against the leather seat, closing her eyes a moment before they shot open to Bruce's voice.

"Seems like I picked a good day to be out running errands. Anna, what the hell is going on?" He took his eyes off the road and glanced at her waist before retracting his gaze. "You wanna tell me why you're holding a gun?"

There was no use lying to him or keeping secrets now. She took a deep breath after a muffled curse, feeling the cool breeze out the window push back her hair. "It's a long story, Bruce."

"Well I got time and we're almost home, so you can tell me when we get upstairs." Straight and to the point, as Bruce often was all the years she had known him.

Her head bowed as they crossed through the next intersection. Asking for an explanation could not have come at a worse time. 


	3. Chapter 3

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**_Fatal Instinct_**

**_Chapter 3_**

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Bruce fished his pocket, keys jangling on opening the door to his apartment. Anna followed him in and removed her sandals out of respect before coming to the couch.

The former mercenary left for the kitchen, enabling her some time to report a message. However, the communicator seemed broken, uttering nothing but soft static. Frustration began to settle in as Anna attempted to stay calm. Minutes later, Bruce brought her a cup and sat it on the table, filling it with steaming hot tea.

"My niece is asleep, so try to keep your voice down." He poured himself a cup as well.

_'Niece? He never told me he had a niece?' _

"Er…thanks." Anna whispered, accepting the tea with both hands. Her fingers drummed against the cup after the first sip, mind reeling back to Nina's peril. Her vision blurred before stifling a tired yawn, the effects of staying up late starting to catch up with her.

Bruce's voice shifted her gaze upward. " So who were you trying to kill back there?"

To Anna, it had come off sounding more like an interrogation than just a simple question. She shook her head. "I didn't try to kill or shoot anybody, Bruce."

"Then explain to me why you were holding a gun? I'm sure it didn't just magically appear in your hands when you came out of there."

Anger began to mount as Anna's voice started to strain, both cheeks trembling. He had known her for a long time and she had always been honest with him about everything. Yet, he did not seem to buy a word of her argument against his. "Just because I had it doesn't mean I used it!"

Bruce's hand clamped over her lips to muffle the scream. They both hushed, listening for traces of movement or sound that suggested his niece had awakened. Then he eased his hand to her chin before reminding her to keep her voice down. "You're right," he said in a low whisper. "I can look into your eyes and see that you're not deceiving me. But I have to know Anna, why did you have it in the first place?"

"It's none of your damn business, ok? Just leave it at that." However, she knew he would not give in so easy, no matter how much she wanted him to stop. "Ok--I was gathering information for…a job."

Then he averted his head before looking at her again. "So… you've become an assassin, am I right?"

At first she did not reply, eyes adverting from his. Then she nodded, never expecting to admit the truth like this. It was the only confession he would get from her though. "Kind of."

"And who's your client?"

"Can't tell you that." She frowned, legs spread apart while giving the teacup a soft squeeze.

There was silence between them, then replaced by a soft, intentional cough from Bruce. "Ok, I understand." It was hard not telling Bruce everything, but it was for the better. Spilling such information could lead to fatal risks that Anna did not wish to bring upon him.

He scratched the hairs of his beard after pondering hard. "Why did you become an assassin anyway?"

Anna calmed herself, remembering the thoughts burning deep within her mind, the thoughts of her family. "It started back when I was a child." She shut her eyes, attempting to shy away those horrid memories though she knew she could not. "Father always had a thing for Nina, always loved her more than he did me. Taught her how to be an assassin like him more than me. Said I was too soft, too weak."

Her eyes opened as if the events from the past were happening right before her. "In spite of how he treated me more like a stepchild than an actual daughter, I still loved him and did as he told, though apart of me still loathed him for playing favorites."

"I see," said Bruce, gaze shifting to the carpeted floor as she stole a side-glance at him. "Had no idea it was like that for you."

She forced back the tears with a sniffle, not wanting to cry in front of him. "When father died, me and Nina blamed each other for his death, fought constantly every time we saw one another. Then, years later, Nina disappeared, leaving me lonesome although a part of me still disliked her. I had no where to turn to at first, but then I found out what I wanted to do once it seemed I couldn't find her. I started a new life…and became this way."

There, she had let it all out for him to ponder over. Now it had come. It was time to tell him the other truth she had yet to reveal.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Explaining the situation involving Nina seemed a bit complicated at first, but Bruce later understood what she had to do. Going after Kazuya again was dangerous, but she knew the risks this job came with.

Ever since working under him, Anna knew Kazuya to be a cruel man, fierce and intimidating in every way. Through the intelligence of her agency, she learned of the dysfunctional relationship between him and Heihachi. It spawned many battles where the results were back and forth. After he had claimed the Zaibatsu from his father, he went to make the conglomerate more corrupt than it already was. His leadership had persuaded the illegal activities of extortion, assassination, and the smuggling of endangered species. Heihachi managed to return and retake the Zaibatsu from his son, but a second duel with Kazuya saw him lose it again. In return for throwing him off a cliff, Kazuya threw his father off an even higher one. Heihachi was later presumed dead.

"I'm real sorry to hear about your sister," said Bruce. "I want to help you, Anna. In anyway I can."

Her lips curled into a smile. She appreciated him offering his assistance, but she could not involve him in this. "Sorry, honey. This is something I have to do alone."

"But why not? I may have aged, but I can still kick some ass. And you know this." He did not seem willing to take no for an answer, but she did not care. She had already made up her mind.

"I know, but I am at my best without having to worry about watching somebody else's back. Don't take it the wrong way, but you'd only slow me down."

His muscles bulged at the statement, the exact response she knew that would follow. "I'll remember that, Anna." He had said it as if he had wanted those words to haunt her the rest of her life. His breath came slow after inhaling with strong disapproval. "Anyway, how did you get to this part of town?" He faced her, arm slung over her shoulder.

"I took a cab."

"Well, I would take you back to your hotel, but my car's low on gas and the stations are closed 'till tomorrow. You can stay here for the night and then leave in the morning." He finished, patting her back with reassurance. He had been so kind to her and yet she felt guilty for not knowing how to repay the favor. Someday she would make it up to him, and she hoped that time would come soon.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Bruce stroked his chin and chuckled. "You go from working for the guy to being hired to ice him. Personally, I never really had much of a problem with Kazuya, but I never did like the way he used to talk to you."

"Are you kidding? He was such an unlikable jerk."

Anna could never forget how much Kazuya used to yell at her when he had her employed. There was a time when a disgruntled ex-business partner of Kazuya's tried to attack him after they had a dispute. She had rushed in to tackle and restrain him just before his fist touched the head of the Zaibatsu's face. Rather than thank her for the interception, Kazuya scolded her for not flooring the man sooner. Countless times he had called her useless and overreacted when she made mistakes. She considered it a privilege to kill him.

A slight creak from the first door opposite to the bathroom snapped her senses to high alert. Then she discovered the cause when it peeked out the doorway: a little girl appearing to be around nine or ten, clothed in blue footie pajamas. She had her hair in a braided ponytail and her friendly eyes were a chocolate brown. She sucked on her finger as she came into the light, eyes shifting back and forth between Anna and Bruce.

"That's my niece, Elissa. Be nice to her." Bruce said in an inaudible tone before facing the girl with a smile, waving her on. "Elissa, come here. I want you to meet Anna Williams, a close friend of mine."

She extended her hand for the Irish woman to grip and shake as she observed her. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Miss Williams. I--I really like your outfit." Her voice sounded as small as she was, but that was expected.

"Why, thank you." Anna smiled from the compliment, squatting down to the much shorter girl's height. "You know, sweetie, you can call me by my first name. I don't mind."

"But that would be rude." She protested with a cute grin, withdrawing her head into her pajamas like a turtle did with its shell.

"Elissa," Bruce interrupted, "Anna's going to stay with us for the night, so go clean up your room and fix the bed for her. You'll be sleeping with me."

The first thing Anna had in mind was a hot shower, feet darting for the bathroom to do so. For tomorrow, she knew she would need as much strength as possible.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elissa's room was smaller than most rooms Anna had been in, but not enough to consider it as uncomfortable. It had reminded her of the room Nina and her used to share in their youth though painted in cartoonish colors. At bedtime, her father used to come in and kiss Nina goodnight, but all she got was a gesture.

Right now, there was no telling what Nina was going through. Images of her helpless body connected to wires flowed through Anna's mind, unsettling her heart. She got minimal sleep, tossing and turning wide awake as if enduring a nightmare. Perhaps if Nina had stayed with her, she would not have been in this mess. However, placing blame was not going to help the situation, only make it worse.

A sudden creek of the door brought Anna's head to a slight turn, hand reaching for the gun underneath her pillow in case it was a hostile breaking in. She saw Elissa's sulking face, then withdrew her weapon before the girl could see it. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Miss Williams," she spoke in that timid voice, "do you think you can walk with me to get a glass of water? I don't want the monsters in the dark to get me." She cuddled the stuffed rabbit in her arms, as if ashamed to say such a thing.

The Irish woman gave a sympathetic pout. Darkness did not frighten her much anymore, coupled with the fact it made a great ally on stealth missions. "Why didn't you ask your uncle?"

"Because when he sleeps he's practically dead." From the way she made it seem, trying to wake Bruce was a lost cause.

Anna climbed out of bed and folded the silken robe Bruce had offered her. "Sweetie, monsters aren't real."

She gasped, hands over her mouth in shock. "They're not?"

A headshake and Anna continued, relaxing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "No. They're just something people bring up to make you believe in them…like Santa Claus…or the Easter Bunny." Maybe she was still too young to hear that, but Anna wanted to let her know beforehand.

"You mean, they're not real either?"

"Nah, but enough about that. Let's get you some water." She took the child's hand and accompanied her to the kitchen.

An attitude like Elissa's was something Anna would have preferred from Nina, though she could not see it happening. Her sister was cold, ruthless as a wolf when angered; not to mention she had a ferocious bite to back it up.

Both Anna's cheeks still burned with the unforgotten memory of those painful slaps from long ago. At times, she could not understand why she still cared about that woman when she never returned the affection. Regardless, Nina was still her sister and nothing could change that.

"Uncle Bruce says you're a very tough woman." The little girl spoke between short, slurping sips.

"Huh?" Anna had not even been paying attention, chiding herself for it on leaning against the refrigerator.

"Yeah, he also said you were an eni--enig--enigma? Whatever that means."

"Did he now?" Anna's gaze swept to Bruce's room with a knowing expression. Then it settled upon the glowing numbers on the microwave, reading past twelve as she recalled her objective. "Honey, I gotta go to bed. You finished?"

"Uh-huh."

She was ready to take Elissa back, but they only got as far as two steps before the pause.

"Uh, Miss Williams. Can I ask you something, real quick?" She placed the cup on the countertop and faced her.

"Hmm? What is it?" Anna crouched low, all ears to what she had to say.

"My uncle said you were going on a trip some place. Can you say where?"

She was so full of questions, yet Anna did not mind it. "I'm going to a far away place to take care of some **business** that should have been taken care of a long time ago." Her jaw clenched at the image of Nina. It was hard not to express her true emotions to what she meant, but Elissa needed to know only that much.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" The girl rowed back and forth on her feet as she said this.

"Why are you concerned of that, sweetie? I'm just a stranger to you."

"Well, my uncle knows you and that doesn't make you a stranger to him. So, you're not a stranger to me. And…. I wanted to know, that's when you come back, if you could teach me some martial arts. Uncle Bruce says you know a lot about that stuff. He won't teach me because he thinks I'm not ready for it yet. But I know I'm ready. I wanna know how to fight so that one day when he's too old to take care of himself, I can be the one to do that." She finished with an annoyed pout.

_'Aww, that's so cute.' _

It was difficult to keep a promise like that, considering how time consuming her job was. However, she did not have it in her to reject the request of a little girl, let alone her best friend's niece.

Anna leaned closer, whispering. "One day, when your uncle isn't around…I'll teach you, okay? It'll be our little secret."

Elissa thanked her with a warm embrace and bright smile. "Remember, you promised."

She bent over and kissed Elissa's forehead. Those words echoed in Anna's mind like a yell within a deep cavern, ensuring she would not forget them. "I know. Now, off to bed with you, sweetie." She took Elissa to Bruce's bedroom and closed the door on her way out. Her back then leaned against the wall, exhaling a deep sigh.

Dawn was not too far away.


	4. Chapter 4

_----------------------------- _

**_Fatal Instinct _**

**_Chapter 4 _**

_----------------------------- _

An unnatural cloud hovered over the choppy seas of the pacific, darkening by the minute. Anna wondered if perhaps it were a sign of the many dangers to come later, then forced the thought from her mind.

Before Bruce had dropped her off at the hotel, she had given him a prolonged embrace and parting kiss on the cheek; he had requested her to come back to him safe and in one piece. Anna looked to fulfill the promise that she would.

Despite the danger and risks that came with every mission, she knew what she was getting into on this one. Taking out Kazuya was not the easiest thing and many had failed in their attempts to do so several times before. By coming this far, she was entering into his territory, unknowing of what lied ahead.

The aircraft closed in on the massive structure emerging in the distance as the pilot gave her the signal. Anna fastened the straps on her apparel, securing all her equipment in place. She had made certain to come prepared, checking all weaponry before sliding them into their respective holsters. Her bosom felt uncomfortable against the tightening straps, but she would have to live with it for now as the craft hovered over the metallic island below.

Not wasting anytime she lowered herself from the cable until she touched solid ground. The aircraft than began its pull away from the island before any radar systems picked it up, but it was too late. A sudden whistling noise confirmed Anna's fear, as she looked overhead to see a missile slam right into its side. The craft exploded on its descent into the ocean, taking the pilot's life and Anna's only escape route with it. Once the sky had cleared of the smoke, Anna turned about, still shaken from what she had just witnessed. Still, she had to keep her cool and carry on.

Then she eyed the ledge above, shooting a steel wire from her grapple gun that reeled her to it. She spotted a balcony on her ascension, a cool refreshing gust of air hitting her face. Her feet had made a silent landing on the ground, eyes sweeping from side-to-side for any signs of danger. Once she presumed the area clear, she crouched low on walking and stole into the complex via doorway.

Inside, she hoisted up her combat bow, the tail shaft of the arrow set between her delicate, pale fingers. Exhaust pipes and narrow corridors leading in different paths opened up in view. The loud hoarse cough of a guard sounded afar, silenced once the sharp metal of the released arrow pierced his back.

Two meters further north brought her to a triplet of guards standing between her and another widening passage ahead. She did away with them, hid the bodies, and continued the path, checking twice from behind to ensure no one followed. An abundance of glass tubes resembling the ones in the photos Lee had shown her loomed forth inside the expansive laboratory. Computer mainframes stood tall in a row at the side.

There was no sign of Nina present in any of the tubes, but in her place, Anna saw living organisms. What she noticed seemed to be birth in the making, wires connected to tiny fetuses resting within. A couple to her left had already reached adulthood, breathing deep as they slept while coiled up. According to the charts, this was some kind of process to recreate human life.

Before she could uncover anything else, she heard a combination of footsteps and indistinct chatter behind her. Her stomach contracted as she darted behind the nearest series of mainframes, eye peeking out just a little. An old, balding man shuffled in holding a cane, his body trembling with every slow step taken. It did not take long for Anna to take in his visage, the features so clear in her mind.

'_Dr. Boskonovitch…' _

The old Russian scientist had a brilliant mind, having next to no equal that could dwarf his superior intellect.

After Anna and her sister's awakening from cryo-sleep, he had done all he could to help reduce the amnesic effects Nina suffered under, but to no avail. He had suggested Anna bring her sister to areas of familiarity in order to draw her memory back. Yet, she had chose to do more, attempting to implant false memories within Nina's head. With everything they had experienced in the past, Anna saw it as a chance to make peace and become close, but it all had backfired. With no success in gaining her memories back, Nina disappeared, leaving Anna lonesome, depressed, and without purpose.

"I still don't like it. You sure this is a good idea?" The doctor asked in that wheezy voice, as if he was speaking to another individual in the room. No one was there and concern grew upon whom he was talking to.

Then Anna sensed it, the chills coming over, that dark presence she had come to recognize for years now.

The low, deepened voice coated with anger and impatience was the final confirmation. "Get on with it already. You said he's perfectly under control. There's only one way we can find out for sure." Kazuya made himself visible at the entrance, stepping forth to look over the doctor's hunching figure.

Anna heard Dr. Boskonovitch's fingers typing along the keyboard, causing one of the many capsule doors to rise to life. A rush of steam from inside had filtered out, revealing the immobile body it contained. It was of a man, his physique well-built, riddled with scars across the torso. His eyes flashed open like an owl in the night, his half-shredded tactical clothing resembling that of a soldier that had fought in an intense battle.

Dr. Boskonovitch swallowed hard as he took a couple steps back, as if cautious about something. "He--hello, Bryan. Do you--remember me?" His voice was shaky, less audible then it was before.

The one he addressed as Bryan spoke up for the first time, popping the muscles in his neck, removing the wiring attached to his body. "Good evening, doc. How are you?" The smile he gave seemed frightening enough to scare the fur off even the mightiest of lions.

"See. I told you. Doesn't look like he's going to be any sort of trouble at all." Kazuya said, sounding confident as he voiced this. "Just make sure you give him the right dosage and there won't be any problems."

"I'm trying not to take any chances, Mr. Mishima." The doctor shook his head as he eyed the flashing computer screen before him.

Kazuya turned about and began to retrace his steps. "Humph. In order to be successful in this world, you have to take chances. Thought you would know that by now. That's why you're the scientist and I'm the successful business man that I am. Now get to work. I'm not paying you to stand around. Mr. Fury, come with me."

Bryan smiled again, following Kazuya's abnormal but ominous shadow out the room. After waiting a minute later to ensure their departure, Anna sprinted away from concealment. Boskonovitch only had a second before her hand clamped over his mouth to silence a panicked scream and pull him back into hiding with her.

"Relax. It's only me." Anna said in attempt to calm his muttered squeals, fingers soon trailing down his wrinkly chin.

He took a deep breath to do as she suggested, eyes fixed on her visage. "Miss Williams? What on earth are you doing here?"

She did not have time to answer questions, instead needing to ask them herself. "Doctor, you have to tell me what's going on. What is Kazuya intending to do…and most importantly…where's my sister?" She had no idea she was choking him until he had requested her to relinquish her firm grip from his throat.

He then frowned, shaking his head as his gaze pointed in the direction Kazuya had made his exit. "I'm sorry, Miss Williams. I--I had nothing to do with this. Please, do not think wrong of me. It was all Mr. Mishima's idea. I was only—I was only forced to go along with it."

Judging by his pleading tone and demeanor, he wanted to distance himself as far as possible from anything regarding the matter. Anna knew of Kazuya's menacing ways to force people into doing his bidding, and this was no different. "Go along with what?" She tried to stay soft-spoken, but her attempts were failing with the vagueness of every claim he had made.

He raised one shaky finger, aiming it at the ground. "Your sister…is located a few floors below…in a special tube to keep her stable and healthy. Kazuya captured her as punishment for trying to murder one of his business associates."

"You're going to help me get her out, Boskonovitch." Her brows crinkled, showing him just how much this meant to her.

"Me? But I can't. He'll--he'll kill us both if he finds out." He stammered, his hands trembling with his voice.

"Not if I can help it." She leaned against the wall, folding her arms. "With the mood I'm in right now, there's no telling that I might do something I'll end up regretting later, so it's best you cooperate. Now, how do I get to my sister? I'm sure this place is just as secure as the Zaibatsu, correct?"

He nodded as he scratched at his temple, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Yes. A lot of the security equipment is scattered throughout the building. If I go to the security room, I may be able to deactivate everything, but it'll take some time." He finished upon fidgeting with his bottle-cap-shaped glasses again.

"Do what you need to do." Anna turned, her back facing him on walking away. "I have a little bit of unfinished business I need to attend to…."

* * *

There seemed to be no end to these steel platform steps as Anna descended them. Down here, it was dank and quiet, perhaps too quiet for her liking as she heard her own silent breathing. Further down, she spotted a room stretching from one side to the other and made her way inside. The clicking of her heels ceased when the burly shadow loomed over her from above the railing.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the bitch in the red dress I've heard so much about." came the voice, the figure emerging from the darkness he had blanketed himself in. "Naughty, naughty, little girl. You shouldn't sneak into Kazuya's complex without his permission."

Anna elevated her gaze, catching sight of Bryan Fury's eerie, twisted smile. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" He vaulted over the railing, landing with a loud thud on rusted steel, standing just a few yards away. "Heh, simple. The single most thing every man wants in his life: ultimate power!"

"Heh, why don't you follow the trend and try to kill Kazuya and take over the Zaibatsu. I hear it's all the rage."

He scoffed, his answer was not what she expected. "The Zaibatsu has none of my interest, though I do intend on taking Kazuya out very soon."

She bit her finger, thinking aloud. "And why haven't you done that already, Frosty Top? You'd make my job a hell of a lot easier."

"Kazuya will get his soon enough. I'm just waiting for the good doctor to finish making me a stronger batch of that special substance. Then I'll blow this joint to smithereens."

"Substance?" She frowned, curious.

From his pocket, he pulled out a syringe, the rubber bulb carrying a grayish fluid. "This stuff is meant to keep me from losing control, keep me from being…well…me. But the fools don't realize it's not working, that I've been deceiving them all along. Think of this stuff as a steroid. Lasting only a short period of time is its only downside, but once injected…mmmm…instant strength. Too bad they don't have any in my favorite flavor. I loooooove grape." He took a step forward, grinning with malicious intent no doubt. "Allow me to demonstrate."

He raised the syringe in hand, injecting the fluid into the side of his neck, a discomforting scream surging from off his lips. His muscles bulged a moment before reverting to normal size, his pupils beginning to fade.

Instinct prompted Anna to draw her submachine weapon at once, pointing it up in preparation as the cyborg leapt in to attack. 


	5. Chapter 5

---------------------------

**_Fatal Instinct_**

**_Chapter 5_**

-----------------------------

Ammunition sprayed from the barrel of her submachine gun as she gripped it tight in her hands. Once he neared close enough to land a blow, she rolled sideways to keep distance. She had ejected more than twenty bullets into his lower body and he stood without flinching the slightest.

His psychotic grin did more to aggravate than it did to intimidate as she shot him again with the same result. He took a couple steps back, approaching a few stacked barrels that he regarded right away. The look he exchanged with her was enough to enlighten her of his current intention.

He kicked the adjacent barrels over, the spilled chemicals eating right through the floor. Anna tensed as she executed a back flip and evaded the toxic before it touched her heels. She stared at the hole made in the floor, gaze shifting up to notice he no longer stood in front of her. He moved so fast she had trouble keeping up with him. Soon she realized his hulky form loomed over her like a hawk from behind.

It was too late to move as she felt the spinning bionic kick smash into her spine, thrusting her forward with inhuman force. After she collided with the wall, her hand lost grip of the submachine gun as it skittered across the floor, several feet away from reach. She staggered to her feet, Bryan Fury's blurring fist already homing on their mark.

Her head ducked and missed the incoming hook by a fraction as it left a severe dent in the wall. Anna reached down for her pistol, but Bryan was quick in stopping her. His clamping grip squeezed her wrist hard enough to force her to drop the sidearm. She used her free hand to whip out the double-edged knife as the next option, cutting only through the air as he stepped back to avoid it.

"Quite a weapon you got there." He grinned and disclosed a superior knife from his pocket, tossing it in the air as if it were a simple toy. "But mine's better. Doesn't matter what you do. You and this entire building are going down either way."

"What are you talking about?" She kept her guard up and watched him circle her.

"I've planted quite a number of heavy-duty explosives at the bottom of this building. Soon enough, this place will go crumbling down into the sea. " He held up two fingers. "Two hours. That's how much time is left before it all blows. I'll be long gone before that happens."

It could have been just a ploy meant to scare her, yet his eyes and demeanor said otherwise. Now she had another problem to face that added even more difficulty to the situation.

Wasting little time, he lunged forward to take a swipe at her. She avoided every slash… until she tripped and lost balance. The knife's blade cut a slit through the midriff of her dress, almost making contact with her own flesh. She sat there, astonished, but not for long as the knife's blade came near again. Rolling out of the way, she heard the loud clang of metal hitting floor mixed with Bryan's maniacal laughter.

"Hold still, my darling. The doctor needs to operate." He lunged forward again, murderous intent in his eyes.

"You want me dead? Come and get me!" Anna challenged him and he did just as she wanted, rushing at her like an angry bull. She primed the flash grenade, unused from the last mission, behind her back and tossed it in his path. An expansive glow of white light ignited with Anna shielding her eyes as she dive-rolled to recover her guns off the floor. She looked up to see Bryan blinded by the temporary distraction as the light started to diminish.

He stumbled near a few barrels, not realizing he was right where she wanted him. Anna fired another barrage of bullets, the containers exploding with massive force. She dodged the hunks of debris flying at her before silence filled the room. The emergency sprinkler system activated, fizzling out the fire before it spread. Anna let out a sigh and relaxed herself against the wall for a breather.

A minute of this and she brushed off the wet marks of her dress to continue her way. Then she heard the mechanical squeal from behind, insinuating her job here was not yet finished. She turned to face the reality of the situation, reloading a fresh clip into her gun.

When he had emerged from the thick fog of smoke, half of the flesh upon his face no longer existed there, burned off by the explosion. The skeletal, robotic visage of the cyborg seethed, the red gleam in its eye focusing upon Anna's still form, glaring her down.

"I'm sorry I ruined your face, sweetie. But I don't like it when a man gets too rough with me." She stifled a giggle as he leapt into the air and pounced on her.

The bulk of his weight kept her down as he restrained her flailing arms. Then, out of desperation, she kicked him hard in the crotch area. He shook his head with a wide grin, as it seemed to have no effect on him.

"No way…" Anna murmured to herself in disbelief.

"Ha, typical women. Don't you think of anything else?" He flashed the knife out again, the blade aiming and easing toward her chest. "You know, I almost feel bad that I have to kill such a beautiful creature."

Her mind scrambled for a solution. The idea he gave her was never any clearer. Anna feigned a smile, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "Who says you have to?"

"Hmm?" He cocked his eyebrow, the question seeming effective enough to stop him.

She brought her voice down to a seductive whisper, raising her head to his ear. "Even for a cyborg, you're pretty cute. You need a woman in your life Mr. Fury… and that woman…is me. You're so crazy, so wound up, so strong and built. A man like that turns… me on."

" Hmmm." He paused, pondering a bit as his gaze left her a moment. "Sorry. You're not my type."

Anna's smile turned into a scowl. "Fortunately, you're not my type either!" She kicked up with both legs, slamming her heels hard into his unguarded abdomen.

A gasp of air burst from his lungs as he relinquished the hold he had on her, the knife falling from his hands. She rolled backward into a stance, unwilling to shoot him this time, as she knew it would do her nothing. Just then, she noticed the debris falling from the ceiling, a sign that it could collapse at any moment. She weakened it, aiming her shots upward instead.

Bryan's eyes reverted to their normal color, and he stopped in place as he noticed the substance's effect wearing off. Instead, he charged her anyway, his speed no longer what it was minutes before.

"Hey, Fury!" Anna called out to him. "Remember when you said I was a bitch?"

He panted, going for his syringe to inject another dosage into his neck, unknowing of the danger from above. "Yeah?"

"You were right!" At the pitch of her voice, the ceiling fell, bombarding him with vast support beams and other broken debris. The force was enough to perforate the ground and send him plunging below into a dusty burial. There was no movement, no sound as she looked down.

"That was one nasty fall. But I told you…I don't like it when men play rough." She walked away, blowing a kiss to him in farewell. "Thanks for the work out, sweetie. I needed it."

In seconds, guards stormed the room for investigation as she made her departure a fast one.

* * *

The hallways were narrow and short, guarded by a significant number of patrol units. It would be impossible to go in undetected, and Anna needed some way to get through without attracting a hoard of trouble. Her ammo was scarce, her body still hurting from the fight with Bryan. She squatted down to notice an air vent big enough for her to crawl through.

The sight of cobwebs and dust disgusted her, but it was the only way. She managed to pick up a conversation, though it did not possess anything that held her interest. However, the next one did, as she verified the thick voice of Kazuya exchanging words with one of his employees. She froze and peered through the vent to obtain any bit of useful information.

"I feel different… without you. Somehow, you believed in me and I never understood why. No matter what, you always managed to somehow brighten my day. And I'm still looking to return the favor…somehow. I wanted to tell you how I felt about you, but I may never get that chance. Just know that care for you in a way I may never have cared for someone before."

These words were so unusual for someone like Kazuya to say, packed with so much emotion and sincerity. Never did he reveal this side of himself to anyone, but then again he was alone…or so he thought.

In his hand, he held a black and white photograph, studying it. Anna could not make out the image of the person from such a cramped spot, doing her best to suppress the sneezes from all the dust. After hearing such deep heartfelt words, Anna did not know how to feel about Kazuya right now. She took the job because she had no qualms with killing heartless individuals, but she started to rethink that with him. A soft knock at his door did not give her much time to contemplate the matter. Kazuya discarded the photo and asked for whoever it was behind the door to come in.

"No sign of any bodies on the island, Mr. Mishima. We've swept the outside clean." A stern looking man with a military style buzz cut said in front of his desk as he walked in.

Kazuya rested his chin upon folded hands, snorting at the report as if unpleased. "Are you certain about that? From what was reported, that aircraft was flying rather low. It had to have dropped somebody off. We can't afford to have spies snooping around."

The man nodded, standing stiff. "I suspected that too. We have a team already looking into it. They're still searching just to be sure." He went silent, as something seemed to be on his mind. "I'll tell you something that is odd, though."

"What's that?" Kazuya drummed his fingers against his desk.

"Apparently, a few of our patrol units have gone missing. Nobody knows where they are and they haven't been responding to their walkie-talkies for the past hour or so."

There was an inhuman snarl from Kazuya as he sat up. "They better not be on some damn coffee break."

"I highly doubt it, sir." The man replied with shaky hands, insisting his assumption was wrong. "These men take their jobs seriously."

Moments later, another man walked into the room dressed in tactical gear. "Mr. Mishima, please forgive me for the rude entrance, but I think there's something you need to know. Two things in fact."

"This had better be good." The Zaibatsu owner clenched his fist at the sudden interruption.

"Half the chemical lab is in ruins." The guard stood back in caution, as if expecting Kazuya to lash at him from behind his desk. "And--and all the cameras were destroyed within, so there's no evidence of what exactly went on in there at the time."

"What?" There was no mistaking they were both terrified of Kazuya's anger. From here, Anna imagined the veins getting ready to pop out of his head as they did in the past. Somehow, he did not blow up like expected.

"Ye--yes." He continued. "And Doctor Boskonovitch—he--he was trying to deactivate the security system for some reason. He's in our custody right now... and we're awaiting your orders on what to do with him."

"Boskonovitch is a dead man if he has anything to do with this." Kazuya stood up from his chair. "He's going to learn a hard lesson in why people never double-cross me and get away with it. Take me to him."

He pushed past them out the door, walking with purpose. Anna crawled out, muffling coughs, breathing in the dust-ridden air after spending ten tortuous minutes inside that vent. She rose to her feet and acknowledged the black and white photo Kazuya left lying on his desk. It was of an Asian woman, her smile sweet and genuine. Her name was marked across the bottom in cursive handwriting.

_'Jun…'_

The name did not seem familiar to Anna, nor could she figure out what affect this woman had on Kazuya's life. Perhaps she had tried to steer him toward a less corrupted path. Of course, all this was just speculation. There was no time to think about that now, though. Boskonovitch was in real danger and she needed to get to him fast.

She activated her communicator as she chased after Kazuya. "This is Agent Williams. I'm gonna need a new ride out of here. Tell them to get here as quickly as possible. And be sure to keep a good distance away from the building until I give the signal."

* * *

Kazuya and his men were fast, but not enough to hinder Anna from keeping up with them. Up the stairs and through the dim halls led her to a large room where they had Doctor Boskonovitch held prisoner. She pressed her ear to the door, listening in on Kazuya's interrogation.

"Just what did you think you were doing, Boskonovitch? You know the penalty for treason." Kazuya's voice was as grim as ever, having no trace of forgiveness.

"I'm an old man, sir. I don't know what I was doing." The Russian used any excuse necessary to get himself out of this mess, but Anna knew Kazuya would not fall for such a trick. It was her own doing that got him into this, and now she would have to be the one to get him out.

"He's protecting somebody, sir," said one of the guards. "He has an accomplice that's in on this thing."

"Oh really?" Kazuya replied, intrigued. "And just who would this person be…Boskonovitch?"

If there was ever a time to make a move, Anna needed to make it now. She readied her weapons until a loud voice from afar startled her.

"Intruder! Sound the alarm! No--"

She shot him dead, but it was too late. The doors flung open, two guards leaping out with guns ready, focused upon her. She whipped out her weapons before they could fire and did away with them. More guards emptied out, forcing her to take cover behind the wall as she returned fire. Another balding head came into the view of her crosshairs…Boskonovitch's.

Kazuya stood behind him, gun drawn to his skull. His tone was demanding. "Whoever you are, come out, throw down your weapon, and walk toward me."

Anna pressed her back against the wall, gritting her teeth as she pondered what to do.

"You have ten seconds." He added, weighing more tension down on her mind.

She had no choice, closing her eyes as if through in defeat. Her hands went up in surrender as she stepped to where Kazuya could see her.

"Anna… so it is you. I should have known. Like a typical Williams, you end up coming back for more. You've caused enough problems here. Kill her."

"Wait." She commanded. "If any of you shoot me, I'll blow us all to hell…with this." Her hand held the hidden grenade up for everyone to see. "There's enough power in this thing to level this entire hallway. Let the old man go and I might change my mind."

Kazuya did not seem intimidated by her threat as he cocked his gun. "Humph. You're bluffing."

"Am I?" A push of the button to prime it and his men backed off as she pretended to throw it across to them. "Well? What's it gonna be, gentlemen?"

They began whispering to each other, huddled together. Kazuya nodded to let Boskonovitch go free. When the old Russian was half way to her, she lobbed the grenade. A white cloud of smoke poured out from the device as it smashed against the floor, blinding their path. She reached for his arm and pulled him toward her, drawing the pistol she had tied in the bow behind the back of her dress. The plan worked just as she had hoped.

They ran for cover and dodged the oncoming gunfire.

"Oh my goodness!" The scientist cried.

"Hey. You know where my sister is, right?"

He appeared too terrified by all the chaos to answer, but another firm shout got his attention. "Er…why yes. There's an elevator that can take me to her much faster. All I need… is time."

"I'll give you the cover you need. Now go. Go get my sister!" Anna yelled though the gunfire whizzing past them.

The opposition seemed to strengthen as he left her side. However, there was a different matter that Anna minded as she heard it rumble from overhead. Something drilled right through the ceiling, enabling several soldiers to drop down in the process. Anna's eyes widened in shock, seeing Heihachi Mishima standing among them.

"What on earth are you doing here, old man? I thought you were finished!" Kazuya shouted from around the corner.

"Kazuya! I'm shutting your program down and taking back what is rightfully mine." His father retorted. "The Zaibatsu belongs to me!"

Anna crouched low, staying hidden. A father-son war was about to start, and the explosives set by Bryan Fury were ticking closer to detonation. Whatever the case, she was going to have to shorten things soon before they got worse.


	6. Chapter 6

-

**-------------------------------------**

**_Fatal Instinct_**

**_Chapter 6 _**

-------------------------------

Anna was experienced in finishing these missions with ease, but this one was more of a challenge. Nevertheless, Kazuya was a much bigger fish compared to the other jobs she had done in recent past. She watched both opposing sides clash with each other, relentless in their attempt to kill. Each side suffered a light amount of causalities, but that did little to slow the fight as neither of them showed signs of giving in.

Heihachi caught his son with a swift right hand to the jaw, knocking him several feet away with explosive power. Kazuya regrouped and returned the strike through grabbing his father and slamming him against the wall. If this kept up, they would soon kill each other. Not that Anna had any problem with that.

"You're no longer in charge, old man. I'm running the show here." Kazuya said as he gritted his teeth through the next assault.

"Over my dead body!" Heihachi shouted through the blaze of gunfire.

"That can be arranged. And this time…I'll make sure you're gone for good!"

Kazuya hit Heihachi with a ruthless uppercut, both their bodies radiating with electricity. It was not long before they drew each other's blood, more so along the facial area.

"That the best you've got?" Kazuya spat, wiping away the blood dripping from his bottom lip.

"I got loads more." Heihachi sneered and pounded his son down with a heavy combo of punches and kicks. Through out the rest of the battle, the former Zaibatsu owner seemed to be the one in control. Kazuya's forces were diminishing quick, leaving him to a pack of hungry wolfs ready to pounce on him. They took their shots all at once like a mugging before one soldier came from the furthest hall with another.

"Heihachi, sir. This building is getting ready to fall soon. We have to get out of here!"

"How are you so certain?" He folded his arms.

"Explosives rigged at the bottom. Some rigged at the top and middle. Looks like someone did the work for us."

"Oh all right then." He grabbed Kazuya by the throat, shaking him out of his dazed state. "I shall leave you here to die with your own creation. Consider your cloning program… a failure!"

He threw his son across the hall and followed his remaining forces up the hole in the ceiling via ladder.

"Come…back! You—you--coward!" Somehow, though all of that Kazuya managed to stand.

Anna did not hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity. She cocked her pistol, aiming for the back of his head with a grin. "Looks like the old man left you to me, sweetie. We're going to have soooo much fun together. Too bad it won't last for too long, though."

Anna had yearned for this moment for so long. At last, she would make him pay for kidnapping her sister and using her as an experiment. She would make him pay for all the cruel, inhuman things he did to society. And, she would make him pay for the way he treated her many years ago.

Kazuya was silent, turning slow to face her. His body trembled, the glare upon his face intensifying, as he looked at all the carnage around him. "This all began with you. You and your constant meddling. Everything is ruined. Now it will take a while before I can reestablish anything. But…I still have you."

"Awww, Kazuya. I hope you're not too mad at me for ruining your plans." She snickered.

"Go ahead and joke. You have been a thorn in my side for the last time, Anna. Prepare yourself…" His voice choked at the last sentence. The color in his eyes shifted to an eerie red, a third eye beginning to sprout from his forehead.

Anna's cackling discontinued, replaced with a gasp as she took a few cautious steps back. Then she saw it, his flesh turning purple, dark wings jutting out from his back as the curled horns added in the final touch.

"The Devil Gene…" Anna muttered, realizing what she was up against. She was so into the moment she had almost forgotten about Kazuya's trump card. No longer was she staring at the face of man, but of a demon hell-bent on her destruction.

Before she could act with her pistol, Kazuya's eyebeam melted it. He raised his head at the hole made in the ceiling, gesturing they take this fight up there. With the spread of his wings, he brought himself into the air. Anna was not far behind with her grappling gun.

Just as she emerged from the hole, he fired another beam to get the first attack in. She rolled out of its path and hid behind a stack of crates, finding a pump-action shotgun there. There was only one problem.

_'Crud, the damn thing's empty!' _

Kazuya swooped in as a hungry hawk did on its prey, leaving Anna with only one option. His attempt to scratch her with his razor-sharp claws went unsuccessful as she butted him with the end of the shotgun. He shook the damage off with an irate growl and swooped down again. Anna felt arms tighten about her waist before she realized she was about twenty feet off ground.

"Got ya." He hissed in her ear, ready to sink his gleaming fangs into her neck.

"Don't—be--so--sure!" She readied the last flash grenade in her arsenal, but he had already dropped her. Landing back on solid ground, she tossed it into the air. Her head turned away as it detonated in Kazuya's face. Pained screams confirmed success as she scrambled for the weapons his dead soldiers once carried. A pistol would not be enough to eliminate this beast.

Most guns she found were empty, and for the others… damaged beyond repair. There was little time left as Kazuya started to regain his sight, focusing all three eyes on her. Her gaze swept the room for any tool she could use to defend herself, spying a box of shotgun ammunition a few crates away. However, Kazuya stood between her and that box, making the possibility of obtaining it harder.

The glow in his eyes brightened, warning her of another attack. Before firing, he took to the air in attempt to surprise her. She dodged the beams piercing through everything they touched. His eyes flared once more, but she rolled underneath it to catch him off guard with a heeled kick. He caught her ankle just before it made contact with his chin, squeezing it as he spun and flung her across the room. Her body crashed onto a pile of dusty crates, breaking them into several hunks of wood on her back.

Kazuya's shadow loomed over her, pressing his foot against her torso. Anna screamed, trying to jerk free, but her efforts proved useless.

"This is where it ends." The monster snarled.

Anna grunted at the amount of pressure his foot had on her, reaching down for one last hope. "Don't count on it." She drew the double-edged knife and stabbed it into his leg, drawing an inhuman whimper from him.

He backed off, trying to remove the deadly instrument from the wound it created. As he did this, Anna drew the only remaining knife she had left. She flipped it upside-down between her fingers and chucked it toward his face, lodging it deep into his third eye. It paralyzed Kazuya enough for her to claim the ammunition and insert it into the shotgun. She blasted him with a powerful array of punctuated shots. He froze in place, falling to one knee.

He was still alive, panting, his purple skin fading back to normal with everything else.

_'Strange. That was too easy. I expected him to be more formidable than this.' _

As he fell, Anna noted the small object rolling her way from out his pants. It rolled into the front of her heel and she picked it up for examination. It was a locket, containing a different picture of that Jun woman.

Kazuya looked up at her, defeated. "Go on…finish me."

Anna pointed the gun at his chest, grateful to carry out the request. It was ironic, as she had once sought to protect Kazuya years before from her sister. Now, here she stood, on the opposite end, looking to end his life. "Very well. If you insist." In a few seconds, Anna was about to do the world a huge favor in eliminating this scumbag.

However, she hesitated, looking back at the picture of Jun. In the previous missions, she had no problem taking out her targets since they were usually uncaring, greedy, and self-absorbed. However, the passion, the feelings Kazuya showed toward this woman were uncommon of any other individual she had killed.

The sad look in Jun's eyes seemed to plead with her…plead with her not to do away with the man she cared for, possibly loved.

Anna was unsure what to do. Killing Kazuya meant she would have fulfilled her mission and her quest for revenge. Yet, it also meant that she would be hurting someone she had no quarrel with, possibly killing her too. Anna closed her eyes and made a decision--a hard one. She lowered the pump-action shotgun and tossed it aside.

Kazuya raised a brow, stunned. "What are you doing?"

"I—I--can't do this." She said, not even making eye contact with him.

"Bah, you are much too soft." He spat, not showing the least bit of appreciation. "You call yourself an assassin? You'll never be like your sister."

Anna glared at that last comment. "And I don't want to be."

"Heh. I can see that you've changed. You are not the same woman as you were once before." He spoke in a much different tone this time, seeming to compliment her. It was odd, but it was almost as if he respected her, although she could not tell if he did or not. "What made you change your mind?"

"Let's just say you have somebody out there watching you that made me think a bit differently."

"Bah, it doesn't matter." Kazuya spit up a bit of blood from his tongue. "You don't have the guts to anyway."

She grasped the shotgun and aimed it at his head. "Try me!" She hissed and paused, pondering what he had said about Nina.

"You have a choice, Anna. The longer you stall, the more you lose the chance to save your sister. So, what's it going to be? Are you going to kill me...or save her?"

The sudden screams bursting from the door prompted Anna to hide as they came her way. She peeked around the corner, seeing a few of Kazuya's remaining forces help him up.

"Mr. Mishima, sir. We have to get you out of here! This place is gonna blow any minute."

The chance was there for her to stop them, but she did not take it. Nina was more important. Anna trembled as she watched them take leave, mind switching to the other matter at hand. She dropped back through the hole just in time to meet Dr. Boskonovitch, trying his best to keep a half-naked Nina on her feet. "She's a little dizzy. They drugged her good."

"Great, now lets get out of here." Anna helped him carry her sister's sagging weight. "We don't have much time."

"But how can we? There's nothing here to take us."

"Just follow my lead." She nodded with reassurance, leading them to the rendezvous point.

* * *

She could see the aircraft hovering toward them from the distance. The flare-gun did the job of grasping its attention, and Anna waved it in. Once in range, it lowered the cable down for them. Anna let Boskonovitch go first before reeling herself and Nina up together. They sat inside, relieved to be safe after going through all that hell. As the aircraft pulled away, a huge explosion shook the entire complex before it crumbled down into the dark depths of the sea below. The mission was now complete…somewhat.

"You didn't say we were picking up passengers." The pilot looked back at her with a scowl.

"You won't tell, will you?" Anna leaned back, gaze veering to her still sister's body as she slept in the doctor's arms.

"Squealing isn't apart of my job, so there's no need for it."

Anna breathed a sigh of relief, the communicator beeping in her hands. She answered the call, though she did not want to. "Report," came the gruff voice.

She cleared her throat. "Mission accomplished. Kazuya's experiments have been destroyed and the building is now at the bottom of the ocean."

"And what of Kazuya…is he dead?"

Anna looked off into the horizon, shaking her head. "No. He got away…again."

She heard him sigh in displeasure of the news. "What am I going to do with you, Williams? You've been like a daughter to me, yet you continue to get the job only half done."

"I…I don't know." It hurt to lie like that, but she had no other options at this rate.

"At least you got one thing right. Return to base and we will discuss your future."

"Understood…" She flickered the device shut and put it down. "We'll drop you and Nina off." She said to Boskonovitch without turning to face him.

"You gonna be all right, Anna?" The doctor did not seem concerned with what happened to his former employer. A guess would tell that he just wanted to go home and continue with his work.

"I'll--I'll be fine." She lied again, a single tear streaking down her cheek.

* * *

The beach was quiet, much too quiet for her standards. Often Anna found herself socializing, but today she was not in the mood for any of that. For the most part, she had considered this day as dull as waiting in line for one of those rides at a local amusement park on a busy afternoon. Children played soccer in the distance; she watched with minimal interest.

She was supposed to meet Bruce here over a half hour ago, and so far, she had seen no sign of him. The pain from Kazuya's claw scratches were still there, still burning whenever she moved or tried to bend over.

Just when she started to give in and leave, a woman stood in her way.

Her eyes widened at the way her sister just appeared there, unable to find the exact words to speak. "Nina…"

"Anna…" She replied, that cold gaze never leaving her face. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Likewise." Anna rubbed the back of her head, using a careful choice of words. She did not know if sheer coincidence was to blame for them meeting like this, but did not give it much thought. "Nina, listen. I know we've had our differences, but I would like things to change between you and I. I think it's time we put our old history aside and start fresh." She extended her hand for Nina to shake to make things official. A truce was something they both could use to put an end to this sibling war.

Nina folded her arms and ignored the offered handshake. "I can't promise anything now, especially not with you." She walked away, turning back with a small smile, giving Anna some sort of clue as to what that meant. "But in the future…who knows."

Anna smiled too. Perhaps one day they would have peace with each other and be sisters. Not far from shocking, Nina did not even bother to say 'thank you' to her younger sibling. Maybe she just did not know how.

A strong hand came to touch Anna's shoulder and she identified it as Bruce's.

"You're late. What took you so long?" She nudged him in the stomach with her fist, glad to see a friendly face for once since returning home.

"That's not important." He checked her over, as if observing if she had any scars or wounds. "You all right? You still didn't tell me what happened."

She turned away from him in defiance. "All you need to know is that everything was a success."

Still, she had not counted on him of asking one thing. "And what of Kazuya?" He desired the truth. Lying did no good since he saw right through them with ease.

"He's gone." She made the answer seem vague on purpose, but even that was not enough for him.

There was silence before he spoke again. "What do you mean he's gone? Did you waste him or what?"

"I let him go, Bruce." She awaited his response, although knowing what was to come.

"You did what?" His voice rang in her ears. "Why?"

"Something held me back, made me realize something. He's not so bad …as I once thought. He actually has a heart." Anna could not believe the words she had said, and for a moment, Bruce could not either.

"But you're an assassin. It's your job to--"

She shook her head. "I know what my job is, and I don't need you to remind me. Now please, Bruce. Just leave it at that."

He had been pondering something to say for over a minute, but nothing came. Maybe he was out of things to blast her with, or could see how sensitive the issue was. She changed the subject, doing her best to lighten the mood. "So, how'd your little date go?"

The frowning expression he gave was enough to tell her it did not go as planned. "Had to dump her. She was a real weirdo." The tone of being upset from the earlier news was still there.

Anna smiled, sensing a fib hidden within his words. "Are you sure that **she** wasn't the one doing the dumping?"

"Eh, uh, you don't believe me?" She gave him a sarcastic expression. "Oh all right, fine! She said I was too stiff. Needed to loosen up some. Heh, women. Who needs 'em."

She leaned against his shoulder, giggling soft. "Look on the bright side: at least you got me … and Elissa. By the way, how is she?"

"She's doing fine." He admitted. "Girl couldnt stop talking about you since you left. Would have brought her here, but I couldn't get her off the television. You know how children are with their cartoons."

"I look forward to seeing her soon. I still have a promise to keep." No way was she going to forget that, not even for Bruce's niece.

"Promise? What kind of promise?" He lowered his head to her eye level in suspicion.

She feigned innocence to ensure she gave nothing away. "You know, girl stuff. Nothing you'd be interested in."

He waved off her statement. "Pssh. I don't think I want to know. You girls and your weird little discussions. Count me out."

The strong vibration in her purse prompted her to cut the conversation short. "Listen, sweetie. I gotta run. We still on for cards tonight?"

There was a nod from him. "Of course. Some time around eleven. Bring a snack if you want. Well, see ya then."

"All right then." She gave his cheek a couple of soft pats.

Once he was out of view, she brought out her communicator. "I have another job for you, my dear."

Anna lifted her gaze to the full blue sky, a smile curving at the edge of her lips. Perhaps this day would be a bit more interesting after all...

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, that's it boys and girls. At last, a story that I can be proud of for once. I had a lot of fun writing it as you can tell. But the adventures of The Lightning Scarlet don't end here though. Why is that you ask? Well, because I have a sequel in the works, silly. Actually, it's almost done and ready for shipping since I started work on it early. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it.

For those wondering, the identity of Anna's boss was never meant to be revealed (sue me).

**Secondary Notes:** Before all the Kazuya lovers and enthusiasts pelt me with stones and rotting garbage and rant on and on about how impossible it is for Anna to beat him since he was in devil form etc etc etc, there's a reason behind it. A reason that won't be touched upon for a while at least. Like I said, not everything is fully canon. More of a slightly AU universe.

Anyway, I would like to thank the likes of Indigo Siren, Xjmaster, Kapsule corp, JunKing, PsychoBlue, Ran Nuankai, jc-1225, and everyone else for taking the time to read and comment. Thanks a bunch, guys!

**Weapons and gadgets used in the story: **

**Hypnotic perfume** – A special homemade perfume made by Anna herself. Renders any male victim who breathes in its substance through the nose or mouth helpless and unable to resist Anna's charms. Pretty much an arousal drug. Anna often sprays herself with this when she needs to obtain information that might otherwise be impossible to get.

**Semiautomatic pistol** – A self-loading handgun. Fires one cartridge for each trigger pull until it runs out of stored ammunition. This makes it easier to conserve ammo and for Anna to plan her shots wisely before she fires them.

**Combat bow** – A modern bow with pulleys or cams at the end of each limb through which the bowstring passes. Meant for silent kills.

**Silencer** – Lessens the noise a gun makes so that it will not alert anybody nearby.

**Double-edged combat knife** – Another weapon meant for silent kills on unprepared sentry, other foes, or just knife fighting. Can also be used to cut through ropes too.

**Pump action shotgun** - (Update soon)

**Flash grenade** – Often used by SWAT officers and other military units. Meant to confuse, disorient, or shortly distract a potential threat for up to five seconds after detonation.

**Anna's grapple gun**– a gun with a small electric motor, and a rope cartridge with hook. The motor enables Anna to pull herself up (by wheeling the rope back to the launcher, while the hook is caught onto a solid anchor) or to drag objects and people.

**Spy crafts** – These vehicles take Anna where she needs to go, depending on the location and distance. 


End file.
